While I am unfamiliar with the source material of the Battle Chasers comic, I do recognize an epic character design brought off the page into life…or brick. LEGO Designer Wes Talbott has done exactly that with his build of the character Calibretto. And in the process, it seems Wes has managed to use every new slope, wedge, and tile that exists. This build could also fit in perfectly in the LEGO Nexo Knights theme.
The mythical cockatrice gets its day in the sun in this exciting build by Ids de Jong. A cockatrice, a monster devised by people in the Middle Ages who looked at a dragon and thought it needed a bit more chicken to it, has the potential to be a bit silly-looking, but this monster looks appropriately menacing. Those claws aren’t something I want to face, whether or not I’m wearing armor. The rest of the build looks great too—I’m a big fan of the luxuriant foliage, as well as the clever parts usage in that rickety fence. Just don’t take your eyes off the cockatrice for too long. Those slitted eyes look like they mean business.
As an American, I’ve always envied Europeans and the fact that they can’t seem to throw a rock without hitting a gigantic, majestic castle in their backyard. So I adore Jako of Nerogue‘s LEGO Dovern Castle, which has all the things I love about its real-life counterparts: soaring banners, jagged ramparts, and of course towering walls! And speaking of walls, let’s talk about my favorite part of this model: the rich, textured look of the stone. Plates, ingot bricks, SNOT (studs not on top) bricks, and the occasional exposed stud give the stone a weathered, uneven look. To that end, one of the most ingenious aspects of the build is the organic use of sun-faded gray bricks. I used to have a box of those, which I threw out because they didn’t match the rest of my gray elements. Here, however, Jako has blended the old bricks with the new to give the castle wall a look that says, “Behold! I’ve been here for many a year and shall endure for many a year hence.”
If you remember having 6703 Knight’s Castle in your LEGO collection as a kid, there’s a good chance you’re nursing some back pain, clipping your phone to your belt, and wishing these words were a little bigger and easier to read. Still, you’re never too old to appreciate ZCerberus‘s take on the classic set, just in time for its 40th anniversary. The update stays true to the aesthetics and architectural footprint of the original while showcasing just how far LEGO bricks and their builders have come. The red stone of the gatehouse hasn’t changed, but the castle walls are beautifully textured with tiles, while the wild foliage at the base adds an air of rugged mystery.
This armed and armored knight by Dan Ko may look simple at first glance, but there is lots to crow about — starting with the beak made with swords paired with a large claw part. The wide wings made with angled bow pieces give the perfect impression of feathers. But the hero of this build would have to be that great sword that is giving me major Final Fantasy vibes.
We all love a bit of LEGO nostalgia every now and then and this build by Lars Barstad really hits the soft spot. It’s got a nod to the yellow LEGO castle from way back when, and then there is the Black Falcon king for the generations after the yellow castle. The posing of the minifigures is great and the little baby with the helmet on is too cute. The miniature castle is amazingly well done. It looks like the yellow castle but it also looks like a theatre backdrop. Of course the amazingly brick build heavy curtains also really help to set the scene.
It has been twenty years since Bionicle came to the LEGO scene, and even after all that time it still inspires some amazing creations — this new take on Axonn by Toddrick is no exception! This fierce warrior brings to mind images of a Roman centurion with its red highlights at the wrists and knees and the crimson cloth in the torso, while the crested helm hearkens to the galea helmet. The notes of gold in the helmet, along with the axe handle’s plumage and ring of gold, add a sense of prestige to the figure. My favorite parts usage is the chest and shoulder pieces. These Hero Factory parts add a sense of legacy to the build, as the Hero Factory toy line succeeded the Bionicle line.
“‘Tis but a scratch!” If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought W. Navarre built a large scale figure of that black knight. Yet, this formidable figure inspired by Dark Souls has no dismembered appendages at all and is actually threatening. While Navarre hasn’t shown the full figure yet, we see just enough. Leaning on his sword after a day of battle, the knight’s weary position conveys so much character. Navarre’s detailed build is not too cluttered, and we can easily tell what is what, and it works so well.
“Alright, we’ll call it a draw.” Check out more amazing builds by W. Navarre here!
The kingdoms and castles built by fans have provided its many factions a stable home since the last Castle-themed sets were retired. Builder Dale Harris provides two such fortresses in this massive build, complete with lush scenery. Inspired by the original sets including the Forestmen and the Black Falcons, this model is a blend of childhood nostalgia and adult builder expertise. Named for the two factions that call the area home, this had to take a massive amount of planning.
Forced perspective is always the way to go when you want to get noticed by TBB. Using niche LEGO parts in a clever way is another way to get blogged. John Snyder did both so I have no choice but to write an article about this amazing build. The forced perspective is created by building something that is further away on a much smaller scale than the things in the foreground. The background is too blurry for me to identify cleverly used parts, but the objects in the foreground are a lot easier to identify. The path is made of 1×2 round plates mixed with plates in dark tan. This makes the path look like it is made of cobblestones. A simple technique with a great effect. The tree is made using several limbs of Chewbacca. The print on this piece works perfectly for tree bark. When it comes to foliage John got really creative. The autumn leaves are made with toy winder keys. The fallen leaves are made using star stud holders. For the grass John used minifigure claws
Keith Espinoza has built this bold warrior mech, complete with the armaments of a hammer and shield. The guardian has a great colour scheme with subtle hints of turquoise and warm yellows. The head’s round shape is created by the use of a life ring which is partially hidden under the crest of the helmet. Elegant curves are shown along the border of the shield, possibly suggesting that the mech might even be a type of royal knight. The hammer looks ready to do some serious damage with its curved hook on one side. Probably best not to get on the wrong side of this mech or you might be in trouble.
Return to the distant past of 2004 and the theme of Knights Kingdom II with King Crusher – a hefty brawler of a character created by djokson. The most impressive trick in this build has to be the usage of King Mathias torsos for the Crusher’s giant fists. But don’t overlook the shoulder armor that forms the chest, or the protruding jaw made from a 2×2 spoiler brick. Yeah, this is one fighter who’s earned their crown – and is ready to tackle anyone who might even dream of taking it from them.
There aren’t a ton of entries in our archives yet for Knights Kingdom themed builds, but we can only hope this creation will stir other builders into a renaissance of clever part usage and brawling armored bruisers!
